The silence of the night pressed in around them, broken only by the crackling of distant fires and the distant rustle of the wind through the trees. Eryx stood over the fallen soldiers, his mind racing with the cryptic words of the man who had disappeared into the shadows. The offer he had made lingered in the air, tempting in its subtlety, but Eryx felt a cold chill crawl down his spine.
Lira tugged at his sleeve, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. "Who was that?" she whispered, glancing nervously around. "Why did he let us go?"
Eryx sheathed his sword and crouched down beside her. "I don't know who he is, but he's dangerous. We need to get you to safety before he changes his mind."
Lira nodded, clutching her torn cloak tighter around herself. Her face was pale, but her eyes held a fierce determination. She had lost everything—her family, her village—and yet, she was still standing. Eryx admired her strength.
As they made their way through the ruins of the village, the full scope of the devastation became painfully clear. Bodies lay scattered among the rubble, charred and broken. The smell of smoke and death was thick in the air. Eryx's heart ached with the weight of it all, but there was no time to dwell on it now.
He couldn't help but wonder how many villages across the kingdom were facing the same fate, all in the name of a crown that no longer cared for its people. The world had changed while he had been away, and it was far darker than he had anticipated.
The village's outskirts came into view, and beyond them, the safety of the forest loomed. As they reached the edge of the trees, Lira suddenly froze. Her body tensed, and her eyes went wide with alarm.
Eryx followed her gaze, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword.
A figure stood in their path. Unlike the soldiers or the mysterious man from before, this one was familiar—a young woman clad in sleek black armor, her silver hair catching the faint moonlight. Eryx's breath caught in his throat.
"Seris?" he said, barely believing his eyes.
Seris, his former ally from the sanctuary, stood before them, her face unreadable. They had trained together, fought side by side, and shared in the trials that had shaped him into what he was now. But Seris had vanished without a trace just before Eryx left the sanctuary, leaving him to wonder where her allegiances truly lay.
"You're a long way from the sanctuary, Eryx," Seris said coolly, her gaze flicking briefly to Lira before settling on him. "I've been looking for you."
Eryx narrowed his eyes. "Looking for me? Why? And why now?"
Seris tilted her head slightly, as if considering how much to reveal. "The king's orders have grown more aggressive. He's hunting down those who pose a threat to his reign. That includes anyone who's undergone the sanctuary's trials—anyone like us."
Eryx frowned. "So you're working for the king now?"
Her lips curled into a bitter smile. "No, I'm not working for him. But I've come to understand the stakes better than I once did. The kingdom is at war, whether the people know it or not. And those of us with power… we're caught in the middle of it."
Eryx felt a surge of anger rise within him. "So you're just going to stand by while villages like this are destroyed? Innocent people are dying, Seris!"
Seris's expression softened, but her eyes remained guarded. "You think I don't know that? I've seen more death in the last few months than I care to count. But fighting blindly won't change anything. We need a plan, allies—more than just raw strength."
Eryx clenched his fists. He wanted to argue, to lash out, but deep down he knew she was right. Power alone wouldn't be enough to overthrow a kingdom. But still, he couldn't shake the feeling that Seris wasn't telling him everything.
"Why are you really here, Seris?" he asked quietly. "What do you want from me?"
Seris sighed, her eyes flickering with something unreadable. "The king's forces are moving faster than we anticipated. There's a group of us—others like us, from the sanctuary. We're gathering in secret, preparing to fight back. But we need you, Eryx. Your power could turn the tide."
Eryx stared at her, his mind racing. A group of fighters from the sanctuary? Others who had undergone the same trials as he had? It sounded promising, but something about it didn't sit right with him. If they were gathering in secret, why hadn't Seris sought him out sooner? And what exactly was their plan?
"You expect me to trust you after all this time?" Eryx asked, his voice hard. "After you disappeared without a word?"
Seris's gaze hardened. "I didn't have a choice. Things were happening faster than I could explain. But I never betrayed you, Eryx. I'm here now because I need you to understand—this fight is bigger than either of us."
Eryx hesitated. Lira stood silently behind him, watching the exchange with wide eyes. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him. Seris was offering him a way forward, a path to fight back against the king's tyranny. But was it the right path? And could he trust her after everything?
Before he could respond, the sound of distant footsteps reached their ears. More soldiers, likely drawn by the earlier skirmish. Seris's eyes flickered with urgency.
"You don't have to decide now," she said quickly. "But think about it. When you're ready, come find us. We'll be waiting."
With that, Seris turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Eryx and Lira alone once more.
The soldiers' voices grew louder, and Eryx knew they couldn't stay here. He looked down at Lira, who had been silent throughout the entire encounter.
"We need to move," he said, gently guiding her back into the cover of the trees.
As they hurried through the forest, Eryx's mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts. Seris's words echoed in his ears. Could he trust her? Could he afford not to?
One thing was certain: the storm that was brewing across the kingdom was growing darker by the day. And sooner or later, Eryx would have to choose which side he was truly on.